SYA France Class of 1974 Faculty Chair in Memory of Peter Greer and Charles Hamblet
The SYA France Class of 1974 Faculty Chair in Memory of Peter Greer and Charles Hamblet was established by the Class of SYA France 1974 during the 50th anniversary of SYA France to honor two beloved teachers — their English teacher, Peter Greer, and their math teacher, Charles (Chuck) Hamblet. The chair is awarded each year to a deserving math or English teacher at SYA France and underwrites a portion of the salary and benefits package.
I attended SYA’s 50th anniversary gathering in Boston the summer of 2015 and talked at length with Barbara Tsairis and Carol Hamblet, who accompanied Peter and Chuck to Rennes. They helped me understand for the first time that SYA is as much about the teachers as the students, and the influence of one year can ripple through a whole career and touch thousands of students.
While the Greers and Hamblets mostly tolerated our teenage antics, they also opened relationships with our Rennes neighbors, fostering respect and trust among us and our French hosts. We learned to recognize and appreciate our differences, ultimately enriching our lives. We have them to thank for providing such a caring and supportive environment.
Barbara and Carol have said that their SYA experience helped Peter and Chuck grow from “good to great” teachers. They talk with gratitude about the “cascading effect” their Rennes experience had in abundantly enhancing their sensitivities and skills as teachers, as future administrators and participants in matters of international education, and in their lives. I know that many of us have been the beneficiaries of this same cascading effect that carried us through our year in France, and nurtured the flow of learning and growth throughout our lives.”
Paul Eldrenkamp FR’74 IN’09P
Meet the SYA France Class of 1974 Faculty Chairs
Lynée Connelly
2021-2022, 2023-2024
Lynée has been with SYA France since 2019. She has a PhD in inquiry based education with a focus on intercultural learning and has extensive experience working with high school students both abroad and in the United States. She has spent several summers at Phillips Academy (Andover, Mass.) working as a lead teacher and an academic coordinator.
During the academic year, Lynée is the English teacher at SYA France and acts as the test center coordinator and college liaison. She is also the Summer Coordinator at SYA France.
Letty Roberts
2022-2023
Letty taught at SYA France during the 2001–2002 academic year and returned to Rennes from 2022–2024 after spending 31 years teaching at The Hotchkiss School excited to work with students who were eager to grow and learn in another language and culture. As a mathematics teacher, Letty’s unique approach to teaching math incorporated positive psychology into her lessons, which better prepares students for the learning process.
Robert Northcutt
2020-2021
Robert joined SYA France in 2016 after teaching mathematics internationally at the American School of Madrid and the Fukuoka International School in Japan. He has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Stanford University and a master’s in applied mathematics from the University of Arizona. Prior to his career in teaching, he worked as a software engineer in the Silicon Valley, a research scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratories, and he spent twenty years with the consulting firm Accenture, where he was a partner in their global utilities practice. Robert and his wife, Rose, spend the summer months at their home in Red Lodge, Montana where they enjoy hiking, biking and photography in the surrounding mountains.